International Programs

Students at the School of Jazz at The New School have a number of opportunities to study and perform internationally. At this time, The New School participates in two prestigious European jazz festivals and supports two exchange programs with music schools in other countries.

Festivals

Bern International Jazz Festival

2014 is the sixth season of an exciting collaboration with the Bern International Jazz Festival. Every spring, seven New School student ensembles travel to Switzerland to play three sets a night during the week of the festival. This is a wonderful learning experience for young musicians—traveling abroad, working in front of an enthusiastic and sophisticated audience, and interacting with world-renowned artists.

Veneto Jazz Festival Workshop

Summer jazz workshop in Italy: July 18-25, 2015

Travel to Italy this July for the Venezia Jazz Festival. As part of the festival, the School of Jazz and Veneto Jazz co-produce an eight-day workshop in beautiful Chioggia, Italy. The workshop includes daily instrumental master classes, three levels of theory classes, several special topics, and rehearsals. The program culminates in a series of student big band and ensemble performances. Under the musical direction of New School faculty member Rory Stuart, the program boasts an exciting lineup of teachers.

The workshop is part of the annual Venezia Jazz Festival. In addition to their musical studies, participants attend festival performances by their teachers and other well-known artists, take part in evening jam sessions at local venues, and meet new friends from around the world.

Exchange Programs

University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

As part of its expanding international presence, the School of Jazz recently launched an exciting exchange program in Brazil with the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in the city of Belo Horizonte. The state of Minas Gerais has a legendary musical history. It is the home of such great artists as Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, and Sérgio Santos. Studying at UFMG's Popular Music division and living in Belo Horizonte offers New School Jazz students a rich cultural immersion experience, which is reciprocated by The New School for Brazilian exchange students who come from UFMG to our jazz program.

One or two students from each university are selected every semester for this exchange program. Qualifications for School of Jazz students include completion of all or most of the required core curriculum prior to the exchange semester and working ability to speak and read Portuguese, whether acquired by taking courses in Brazilian Portuguese at the New School or otherwise.

The Center for Jazz Studies in Israel

In 2009, The New School launched a collaborative academic program with the Center for Jazz Studies at the Israel Conservatory in Tel Aviv. Under the terms of this agreement, selected young musicians in Israel study at the Center for Jazz Studies following New School curriculum guidelines. Those who pass are guaranteed acceptance to the School of Jazz at The New School to complete a BFA degree in New York.